Paul Finebaum Reveals His Pick Between Alabama, Ohio State
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Alabama and Ohio State are in serious danger of losing the College Football Playoff.
After Week 13, the committee must assign a top-four spot to Georgia, Michigan, TCU and USC.
The Crimson Tide and Buckeyes are the next teams out if the Horned Frogs or Trojans falter in their conference title matchup.
As a result, this week's No. 5 ranking is significant.
During a Sunday morning SportsCenter spot,
ESPN's Paul Finebaum gave Ohio State the nod over Alabama despite a 45-23 deficit against Michigan on Saturday.
"Ohio State lost 22 at home," Finebaum said via The Saturday Tradition.
"It was a beat in the fourth quarter. However, that is the only loss.
Alabama has two losses against teams that now have five losses between them."
The Crimson Tide fell three at Tennessee and two at LSU.
Since those defeats, the Volunteers were eliminated from the title hunt after losing to Georgia and South Carolina.
And the Tigers' prospects took a significant blow when they lost to Texas A&M on Saturday.
Nick Saban's squad also had close calls against the Aggies and the Texas Longhorns.
However, one could argue that two significant road losses against formidable foes isn't as bad as getting blown out by your biggest rival at home.
Although the Buckeyes started the season by defeating Notre Dame, they benefited from a softer schedule than the Crimson Tide.
The CFP committee must weigh those factors when determining which team to rank higher.
While neither Alabama nor Ohio State would play for a conference title,
One of them could sneak into the playoffs next weekend with a helping hand.